Genesis: The Beginning
by Lioneh
Summary: Upon entering SOLDIER for the first time, neither Genesis or Angeal knew of just how dark and manipulating ShinRa was. Both were blissfully unaware of the kinds of experiments the company ran...especially Jenova Project G. - 100% yaoi/cursing free -
1. Dawn of a SOLDIER

**Disclaimer: Genesis Rhapsodos, LOVELESS and all other things relating to Final Fantasy VII belong to and are property of Square Enix AND NOT TO ME XD;**

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees, sending a hushed whisper that travelled through the air. Distant rays of sunshine began shining their light over the quaint village, casting long shadows over everything. The whispering breeze merged with the trill sounds of the morning birds and created a lifting melody, which signalled a new day. Sunrise in Banora was always like this, with the warm rays of sunshine combining their colours with those of the night to create a spectacular view. The dawn of that day signalled the beginnings of a new stage in life. At least, for some.

The sunlight crept in through the closed window of a bedroom in the largest structure in the village. The town's minute size made the antique mansion stand out all the more, being among envy by many who took up residence in Banora. The large estate belonged to the most wealthy family in the whole of the town; the Rhapsodos family. The most famous landmark of the village was an enormous twisted, white tree, growing on their estate, which stretched for acres in every direction. Not that Banora White trees were rare; they grew all around the village and thus produced a large crop of fruit. Dumbapples, as they were affectionately named, were the town's most prized possession and produce, providing much of the needed income to support the townspeople.

Despite being a legendary land mark, the Rhapsodos family tree was not one that was respected. Thieves could be expected at any time of year, depending on the bloom of the Banora White apples. Of course, there was no need for concern currently, as the dumbapple season was not nearing any time soon, or it was believed. The last of the apples had just been picked fresh from the trees, leaving them to continue on in their life cycle and produce a new round of dumbapples at their desired time. Of course, Banora Whites were _always_ unpredictable in their blooming patterns.

As the sun rose higher into the sky, movement stirred inside one of the many bedrooms of the large mansion. The sheets were flung off the bed in a sudden rush, with the youth of the household out of bed before one could blink. Sounds of feet dashing down the large staircase signalled that this was no ordinary day. Within minutes, the pleasurable smell of toast wafted throughout the house. A young Genesis hovered around the toaster, getting impatient. The one morning he needed to be out of the house early, the household appliances decided to run slowly. With a dejected sigh, the young member of the Rhapsodos family waited by the bread toasting machine, feeling like he was aging a year for every second that past. If that were true, he would have been 60 years old when the toast popped out of the warm vents of the machine.

Forgetting his impatience, Genesis quickly pulled up a chair at the kitchen table. Before taking a seat, he removed the tub of butter from the fridge and a knife from the draw. He would have to keep quiet about having buttered toast again, knowing that his parents would have a fit. To Genesis, his parents were nuts about making sure he ate healthy. However, just as he was about to sit down, a thought struck him. His parents didn't get up for at least another half hour, so that meant he could take a short trip to the study and back. Sneaking down the hallway, the sixteen year old youth stealthily made his way into the study. Bookshelves lined the walls, but there was only one piece of literature that he was looking for. Genesis quickly made his way up to the far left corner, reaching right hand up onto the fourth level. His fingers closed around the smooth, hard cover of a book titled 'LOVELESS', a novel that he'd found recently while looking for a history textbook. The epic poem that he had found himself intrigued him after the first time he'd picked it up. Tucking the small book under his arm, he quickly dashed back into the kitchen, in order to finish his toast. Maybe, just maybe, he could sneak it into his backpack before his parents awoke.

Finally taking his place at the table, Genesis proceeded to munch quietly on his toast with the 2nd act of LOVELESS opened in front of him.

_Loveless - Act II _

_There is no hate, only joy_

_For you are beloved by the goddess _

_Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds  
_

_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul_

_Pride is lost _

_Wings stripped away, the end is nigh_

The eyes of Genesis Rhapsodos narrowed as he scanned the page, contemplating what the poem was actually intending. He'd been stuck on this part of the book for about a week or so, determined to uncover the actual meaning. He'd gone through enough text analysis in his final years of schooling to learn to actually enjoy looking at some things in greater depth.

Shoving the final peace of toast into his mouth, Genesis quickly took hold of the book and nimbly dashed up the stairs towards his room. He definitely wanted to take LOVELESS with him. Once a mystery had Genesis involved, he wasn't off the case until he had a straight answer. He eyed his wheelie suitcase, which was gently propped up against the wall. It was packed with personal belongings, documents, spare clothes and just about anything one could need when signing up for SOLDIER. Thank goodness it was a small suitcase, or he'd look like he'd even brought the kitchen sink with him. That certainly wouldn't leave a good impression with ShinRa, and definitely not…him.

More than anything, Genesis was longing to meet the one person he looked up to. Even at the age of seventeen, Sephiroth was an elite 1st Class SOLDIER, fully qualified and an expert in his job. It did make Genesis wonder if Sephiroth had grown up like a normal teenager…with friends, family and a school life. Genesis shrugged at the thought. Surely Sephiroth must have, to be such a wondrous member of SOLDIER. Satisfied at his reasoning, the Rhapsodos teenager grabbed his clothes for the day and headed off to the shower.

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The moment Genesis stepped out of the bathroom, an enraged parent was there to meet him.

"Genesis Rhapsodos." His mother waved the tub of butter in his face. _Oh crap…here comes another lecture…_

"Exactly _how_ many times have we told you not to use the butter?"

"Yeah yeah, too many…" Genesis mumbled. _Why couldn't today be an exception? _

"You know how we're very health conscious, young man."

_Young man!? I'm sixteen, for pity's sake…_

"Yeah, health conscious of me." Genesis rolled his eyes in frustration.

"You have special requirements. Haven't we told you take ever since you were little? You can't eat poorly. The doctors were very hushed about it. Not even myself or your father know the real reason."

"Far out, mum. You're my mother, for crying out loud! Didn't they tell you everything about your own son?"

Mrs. Rhapsodos tensed up a little bit. "They told us it was best that you maintain the best possible health that you can, seeing as you have had aspirations to become SOLDIER since you were small. There were difficulties when you were born, so in order for you to achieve your dream, you need to be healthy! We're only disciplining you for your own good, Genesis."

"But, how come-"

"Hurry up! If you don't get a move on, you're going to miss the train. Angeal will be waiting for you. Even with a poor family he's far more organised than you are."

"Gee, thanks mum…" Genesis trailed off, turning around to enter the bathroom to re-dry his hair.

"Oh, and there's an apple for you on the table. Don't forget to take it with you. It's a long way to Midgar, you know." Genesis' mother called down from the kitchen.

"Oh, so one apple's going to satisfy the journey, huh?" The young teenager added with sarcasm, laughing to himself.

"If you'd let me finish…there's also lunch for you. You know you need to have at least one Banora White a day. It's for your health regulations, in case you forgot since yesterday."

_Far out, my mother still packs my lunch…how embarrassing. They'd better give out dumbapples in the cafeteria, or she's gonna have a fit…_

Genesis continued to ruffle the towel over his head, closing his eyes tight to avoid the water droplets flying an all directions. By the time he lifted the towel from his head, Genesis' hair was a complete and utter mess. He grumbled, reaching for the comb and running it quickly through his chestnut coloured hair.

"There, that'll do…I'll try and bypass mum again and hopefully it'll be tidy enough. I swear, she babies me too much…"

With that thought, Genesis reached for his toothbrush and proceeded to brush his teeth. He took a glance at the time on the hallway clock and proceeded to brush a lot quicker. He was meant to meet Angeal at his house at 9:00 AM. It was getting onto that time pretty quickly already, leaving Genesis with little time to check his packing and steal an extra dumbapple or two. _I'd better hurry…Angeal will be waiting at this rate…_

To be continued in CHAPTER TWO 8D

A/N: Okay, finally got a good idea for a fic! This will somehow incorporate my other previously posted 'teaser' fan fiction (located on deviantART - same penname xD Lioneh)…somehow. XD; Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the first chapter of -- Genesis: The Beginning -- ! (: I know this chappie's a little short, but I hope to make the other ones longer as I was eager to get this up :)


	2. The legendary Banora White

**Disclaimer Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley and all other things relating to Final Fantasy VII belong to and are property of Square Enix AND NOT TO ME XD;**

The large, wooden front door of the mansion slowly creaked open, barely allowing enough room for Genesis to squeeze through. Despite his previous reluctance to do so, the young member of the Rhapsodos family gave his mother a quick embrace. Mrs. Rhapsodos was taken aback, surprised by Genesis' sudden actions. Since when did her son have a soft side? Embarrassed, the sixteen year old quickly let go, turning around and continuing outside into the village of Banora.

"See you, mum." Genesis said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. He felt a strange feeling coming over him. He wasn't going to see much of his parents or his hometown anymore. No more nagging, no more dumbapple harvesting, no more careless afternoons of just kicking back and relaxing with his best friend…

Of course, it wasn't as if he wasn't going to see Angeal again. They were going to make the journey of becoming top ranking SOLDIERs together. After all, today was the day that the two of them would be making their mark in the world of ShinRa. They would be comrades, partners together in battle. _No, more than just comrades. Friends. True friends. Even in the worst situations, at least I'll have Angeal to cheer me up…_

"You promise to call, you hear me?"

Genesis snapped out of his train of thought, giving his mother a slightly confused look.

"And if you can't gain access to a phone, write." Mrs. Rhapsodos eyed her son, giving him a loving pat on the back.

"Yes mum." Genesis rolled his eyes, giving his mother one of his famous 'withering looks'. He already felt weird about hugging her. Not many teenage boys in this age hugged their mothers.

The mother of the Rhapsodos household playfully shoved her son out the door, giving a cheerful laugh.

"Now go and make a hero of yourself! I don't want to receive a letter from you saying you hate it and you haven't made it past the stage of being a lowly ShinRa grunt."

"I'll give it the best I've got." Genesis turned around and gave his mother a confident smile. _Okay, here I go. SOLDIER…Sephiroth…my dreams. I'm finally going to reach them.  
_

The bright, cheerful eyes of Genesis Rhapsodos were full of happiness.

Confidence.

This was finally the day he had been waiting for all his life. The whole world of SOLDIER was out there, ready and waiting. Chuckling to himself a bit, Genesis changed his course of direction towards his best friend's house. He quickened his pace, wanting to make it to the house of Angeal Hewley before he really _was_ late. He felt a little awkward, wheeling his suitcase and carrying a backpack on his shoulders. It gave him a sort of nostalgic feeling, like he was going on school camp. Genesis quickly shook his head. He was sixteen. He shouldn't be feeling this way, for being someone who was seen as mature.

He stopped when he reached the Hewley house, his excitement replacing the odd nostalgic feelings that he had been experiencing. He raised his hand to the door, giving a loud, hearty knock to signal that he had arrived and was ready and waiting. _Heh, so much for my mother thinking that I was less organised than Angeal. _Gillian Hewley, Angeal's mother, appeared at the door, eye level with Genesis.

"Ohh, hello Mrs. Hewley. Is Angeal there?"

Gillian shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face.

"He's already waiting for you by the apple orchard outside of town. He left a few minutes ago."

The chestnut-haired teen slumped his shoulders, being right in the middle of a bad case of irony. Hear he was, thinking that he was early. Mrs. Hewley giggled a little bit, shaking her head at Genesis.

"I guess my mum was right…thanks anyway, Mrs. Hewley!"

With a quick wave, Genesis was off again, this time towards the tunnel of Banora White trees that led outside of the village. By now, his face has turned the colour of a tomato, his previous confidence being shaken quite a bit. Despite this, however, Genesis still managed to put on a huge smile as Angeal came into view.

"Aha! Here comes the early bird, huh?" Angeal laughed as Genesis made his way up the hill.

"Oh, shut up, Angeal! Just because I'm the son of the _mayor_ doesn't mean I should be organised!" Genesis dumped down his backpack and let his suitcase come a stop before giving his best friend a playful shove in the shoulder to signal his mocking annoyance. The two had a good laugh, grins plastered over their faces. Angeal took a quick glimpse at his arm watch, giving Genesis the thumbs up.

"Everything's going to plan, as you said. It may be only five minutes late, but the train doesn't leave for another half an hour or so." Angeal whispered, making sure that no eavesdroppers could here him.

"Awesome. Okay. We'll just leave our stuff here for a moment. Come on, Angeal! I promised you this sometime!' With that, Genesis grabbed his best friend's arm and dragged him back in the direction of his own house. "We'll have to be sneaky. My mother doesn't like me being careless with the dumbapple crop…"

Both Genesis and Angeal took a very stealthy approach, quickly running behind the houses that surrounded the town centre. It was still early, so many of the residents of Banora hadn't risen from bed yet. It was just like the old days, really. Genesis and Angeal getting up to their old tricks again was nothing that surprised anyone, especially when it involved practical jokes or other mischievous things they liked to perform. The chestnut-haired teenager peered his head out from the back of his neighbour's house, checking for any life that might catch them.

"On the count of 3...1...2...3!" Within a split second, the two best friends were off, sprinting down into the large estate of the mayor. Both vaulted the fence that surrounded the Rhapsodos property with ease, with Genesis leading the way. The two of them didn't stop running until they reached the largest dumbapple tree in the whole of Banora. Several metres above the heads of Genesis and Angeal, the last three apples of the harvest still remained, being late bloomers.

"Oh boy…how the heck are we going to reach them?" Angeal whispered, staring up at the three purple apples hanging above his head.

"Like this, my dear friend." Genesis, like some kind of monkey, hopped up onto the trunk of the Banora White tree, gripping it forcefully. "Who do you think gets the really high dumbapples during the harvest, huh? Our ladder isn't tall enough most of the time, so my father often tells me to do it." The Rhapsodos teenager made his way up the think trunk of the tree, showing no signs of fear or struggling. Within a few minutes, Genesis had just picked the first dumbapple off the highest point in the tree, sitting triumphantly on top of the Banora White. "Ready, Angeal?"

"Sure thing!"

"Okay…incoming! Get ready to catch!" Genesis dropped the purple apple, which Angeal managed to catch with good precision. The last two dumbapples followed, with Angeal catching each one without fail. "Wonderful work, buddy!" Genesis grinned, nimbly climbing down the tree and landing with slight 'thump' as his two feet hit the ground. Angeal looked a little uncertain, looking at the three apples he was now holding. "Technically, I was the one who stole them, not you."

"Huh?" Angeal questioned, looking at Genesis with confusion.

"I knew what you were thinking. I saw that look on your face."

"But, Genesis…"

"Hey, look. Don't give me one of those weird lectures on your 'honour'. I did the stealing, you were just the observer, okay? Nothing more to it. No honour lost." Genesis patted his friend on the shoulder, with the two of them beginning the journey back to their luggage.

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Rounding the corner, the two sixteen year olds slowly proceeded up the hill, munching away on the best dumbapples that Banora had ever seen. Angeal was loving every minute of it. A dumbapple had never tasted so sweet to him before in his entire life.

"Enjoying yourself?" Genesis asked casually, taking another bite of his own apple.

"Definitely. This is the most fantastic Banora White apple that I've had. Ever."

"I knew that you'd never ask me for any. So I thought, why not just _give_ Angeal one, hey?" Genesis smiled. Angeal was eyeing the third apple, which rested in Genesis' pocket.

"Hey, Genesis? Who's the third apple for, then?"

"Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth!? You mean _the_ Sephiroth?" Angeal's eyes widened, giving Genesis a strange look. How on earth was Genesis even going to get near enough Sephiroth to give him an _apple_? Angeal wasn't sure if that was a valid reason to let Genesis meet with the highest ranking SOLDIER in all of ShinRa.

"Yup. The one and only Sephiroth. I've always looked up to him, you know? Ever since that day I decided it was an idea to actually make juice out of these here apples, I've wanted Sephiroth to have one. I would really like to share with him what I've achieved in my life so far."

"If you'd really call making apple juice a significant achievement." Angeal laughed under his breath.

"Shut up! I got an award for that, you know. National Agriculture Awards, first prize, processed foods category." Genesis said defensively.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. So you won an _award_ for making apple juice. Happy now?" Angeal added, smiling cheekily. Genesis gave him another push, laughing along with Angeal. They reached the top of the hill, right where they had left their luggage. Fortunately, everything was just the way the two best friends had left it. Angeal took another glance at his watch.

"Okay, we've got ten minutes before the train leaves. We'd better get moving then." Angeal moved over to his pile of luggage, consisting of a suitcase with a rather large sword strapped to the back. Thankfully, Genesis hadn't noticed just yet. Keeping a surprise was easier than Angeal thought, apparently.

Genesis scooped up his backpack and shoved his arms through the straps, wriggling to get the overly stuffed bag of belongings onto his back. He pulled the handle from his small suitcase and before long, the two best friends were on the road again, following the path towards the train station that existed on the very outskirts of Banora. However, soon after their journey had commenced once again, Genesis was unexpectedly attacked from behind, nearly knocking the teen off his feet.

"What the!? Angeal, look out!" Genesis warned, rubbing the back of his own head where it had been struck. Angeal quickly grabbed the enormous sword that Genesis had yet to notice from the back of his suitcase, turning around with just enough time to thrust the sword above his head and slam it down on the small, flying monster behind him. "Whoa, Angeal! Where the heck did you get _that thing_ from!?" Genesis was shocked, unaware that Angeal even possessed the strength to lift such a large sword.

"My mother gave it to me this morning. She said, a long time ago, my father had used up all his money to buy this sword. My father died when I was still little, so I wasn't aware this was actually _for_ me. My mother said it was for the day I was to join SOLDIER…and luckily that day was today." Angeal explained cautiously, a little disappointed that he couldn't save it for the train to surprise Genesis with. Angeal's best friend's eyes were wide with awe.

"Wow…that's such a big sword though! How did you manage to lift it?" Genesis questioned, clearly mystified by Angeal's sudden power surge.

"I…don't know, actually."

"Maybe it was just the moment. You know…those weird reflexes that kick in during an emergency?"

"Yeah, probably." Angeal mused, feeling quite happy with himself. He really did have what it took to be in SOLDIER. _This sword is my honour…my dreams…my pride of joining SOLDIER._

A/N: Personally, I really like how this chapter came out! 8D The first chapter, 'Dawn of a SOLDIER', was a little rusty to me since I haven't written a proper story for a while. This one has more of a flow. Well, at least to me. I'm really enjoying writing Genesis and Angeal as teenagers XD; I hope everyone's enjoying this so far! If you spot any typos, errors or whatever, just let me know so I can fix them 8D

Lioneh the cheetion!


	3. First class FUN

**Lioneh (A/N): Do I smell an update? I THINK I DOOO 8D Sorry it's been so long folks, life has been catching me up and I've sure been busy. This chappie is a little longer than the others, thankfully. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :D If you see any typos or mistakes, just lemme know x3;**

**DISCLAIMER O' DOOM  
****Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley and all other things associated with Final Fantasy VII belong to the almighty SQUARE ENIX.**

"Two tickets to Midgar, please. One way." Genesis Rhapsodos reached his hand under the gap in the window to pass the train station cashier the required amount of gil. Angeal peered over his shoulder, wondering why exactly Genesis had paid for both of them and simply not himself.

"Midgar. Two tickets, one way. Enjoy your trip, sir." The cashier handed Genesis two train tickets, both stamped in bold letters 'Midgar', the price and how far the tickets would carry them. Stepping back, the chestnut-haired teen handed his best friend one of the tickets, forcing Angeal's palm to close and accept It. Angeal opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off abruptly by Genesis.

"I'd rather you spend your money on something worthwhile, rather than _train tickets_, buddy. There'll be much more to buy in Midgar." Genesis gave a warm smile, signalling that this wasn't a sarcastic joke. Angeal looked down into his hand, seeing the ticket and his own small amount of gil resting in his palm. He chuckled, looking back up at his friend.

"Heh, thanks Genesis."

"Hey, no problems! Come on, the train is about to leave!" Yet again, Genesis was impatiently dragging Angeal away, towards the main baggage car of the large train. With a heave, the two lifted their suitcases through the open doorway, sighing with relief after the lifting was done. "Far out, it really _does_ feel like I brought the kitchen sink with me…" Genesis trailed off, laughing a little. He looked over, seeing Angeal taking off the straps that bound the sword to his suitcase. Lifting it up with ease, the son of Gillian Hewley took the sword and swung it over his back, giving Genesis a grin.

"I don't want to leave it on the train unattended…it could get damaged if the train suddenly has to stop." Angeal examined the sword, noticing an engraving on the handle. Unfortunately, the writing was too hard to read, even for Angeal's eyes.

"Hey, lemme see that…" Genesis offered. Angeal willingly gave the sword to Genesis, who, to his surprise, also found it easy to lift. The redheaded teenager looked closely at the handle, making out the words with ease. "Oh. It says 'the Buster Sword'." Genesis handed the oversized sword back to Angeal, who still tried to squint his eyes and look at the handle. He shrugged, still unable to make it out. Not that any _normal_ person could make it out, even to Angeal's extent, anyway.

"_The train will be departing shortly. All passengers, please make your way into the carriages and find a seat." _The announcement echoed around the empty train station. Both Genesis and Angeal looked around the station, seeing no one but themselves standing on the small platform. Not many trains visited Banora, since there weren't many passengers to accommodate.

"Well, this is it, my friend." Genesis looked fondly over his shoulder, seeing the village centre of Banora in the distance. He eyed the mansion he could see a little off to the side, smiling a little. "I'm gonna miss this place."

"Same here. But hey, we'll visit again for sure, huh?"

"_Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return_." Genesis said quietly, laughing to himself.

"Huh?" Angeal raised an eyebrow.

"In other words, _definitely._" Genesis nodded, determined to make sure he visited once in a while. Hopefully, Banora wasn't _too_ far from Midgar. With that thought lingering, Genesis began making his way towards the open doors of the nearest carriage, his backpack still on his shoulders. Angeal followed closely behind, the excitement of leaving Banora for the first time in his life beginning to set in.

"_Passengers, please mind the gap as you board the train."_ Just as Genesis raised his foot to step into the train, the announcement rang through his ears. He turned his head as he walked into the carriage, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey Angeal?" Genesis asked, a sceptical look on his face. Angeal proceeded to step onto the train, nearly expecting the same announcement to sound as he passed the gap.

"Yeah?"

"You don't reckon that was on purpose, do you?"

Angeal shrugged, moving past Genesis and to find a seat. "How would I know?"

"Just wondering…" Genesis turned to face Angeal, seeing his friend collapsed comfortably on the squishy sofa beneath the window.

"Hold on…!" Angeal quickly sat up, looking at where he was sitting. "Genesis…you didn't!"

Genesis hopped into the sofa space beside Angeal, trying to suppress his laughter. Angeal eyed Genesis with surprise clearly on his face, not believing what kind of carriage they had just been granted access to. Not being able to hold it in, Genesis began giggling at first, his face turned red quickly.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry…I booked us first class…"

Angeal opened his mouth, quickly beginning to feel awful that he hadn't paid a single cent towards the kind of luxuries that they would be experiencing.

"_The train is now departing. All passengers, please keep your arms and legs away from the doors. Angeal and Genesis, please enjoy your trip to Midgar."_

Angeal looked at Genesis, a small smile appearing on his face. Genesis turned, seeing the suspicious looks that Angeal was giving him.

"Look, I swear I didn't ask for the personalised announcements!" The son of the mayor waved his arms in defence, still laughing silently at the kind of surprise that he'd given Angeal. With the shock now passing, Angeal began laughing himself, overjoyed at how the day was turning out so far. "Well, so far, so good, hey Angeal?" Genesis elbowed his friend gently, grinning from ear to ear.

"You betcha, Genesis." Angeal grinned as well. The engines of the train roared into life, sending vibrations all throughout the train. Genesis got up, moving over to the other sofa across from where Angeal was seated. With a slight jump, Genesis landed forcefully on the lounge, bouncing a little. Pulling his knees up underneath him, Genesis turned around and looked out the window, seeing the his small home town pass by in the distance. Angeal watched from his own seat, seeing the Banora White trees fly past as the train sped up.

After a few minutes, Genesis flopped onto the sofa, sighing with pleasure. "Well, this certainly is the way to travel long distance." The teen reached down to his backpack, unzipping it and taking out the book he had shoved in the top before he left. Content, he opened up his parent's copy of LOVELESS to where he was up to, and began reading. Angeal sat in silence, looking out his own window, seeing the scenery fly past.

"_There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess. Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds_."

"Hmm?" Angeal looked over at Genesis, clueless to what he was reading.

"That was from LOVELESS…it's a book I'm reading. I stole it from my parent's study. I'll still confused about this act…Act II. Any idea what it means, Angeal?" Genesis questioned, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He had the book raised above his head, reading it in a rather peculiar manner.

"Hmm…I'm not much for literature…maybe it's the way your reading it." Angeal stifled another laugh. Genesis gave his friend a withering look, much like the one he gave his parents.

"I've had enough of you mocking me already today!" Genesis laughed, sitting up from his lying down position. "If it pleases you, I'll read it like this then." The chestnut-haired teen sat up, holding the book in the most formal and normal position he possibly could. Angeal just smiled at the antics of his best friend, turning away and looking back out the window. _I wonder…how far is it really, to get to Midgar?_

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"Genesis…Genesis!"

The member of the Rhapsodos family grumbled, his back turned to Angeal on the sofa.

"Wake up, man!" Angeal persisted, his ears nearly bleeding from the sounds of snoring. He shook his best friend's shoulders a little, in a effort to get him back to his senses of consciousness. Agonizingly slowly, Genesis turned over, his brightly coloured eyes barely open.

"Uhh…Angeal?" Genesis mumbled, clearly still half asleep.

"Oh, finally. Your snoring has keep me awake for the last two hours. I just needed a break…" Angeal trailed off, not wanting to offend Genesis even by telling him the truth. Unfortunately, it clearly didn't register in the mind of Genesis, with his eyes beginning to close again. Angeal sighed. "…what time is it?" Genesis whispered, his eyes opening a little again. The son of Gillian Hewley glanced at his watch, glad to see that the journey was coming to an end.

"It's about 3:30..." Angeal answered, feeling sleepy himself.

"You mean…in the morning?" Genesis responded, unaware that the sunlight was still shining right through the window.

"In the afternoon, you idiot…" Angeal mumbled, going over to his sofa and lying down, turning over to try and sleep himself. The hum of the train's engines stopped, with a loud hissing sound escaping from the breaks as they squealed on the tracks. The train pulled to a halt, causing both Genesis and Angeal to slowly rise to a sitting position, expecting to be at their destination.

"_Attention all passengers. We are sorry for the short delay. The train should be moving again in about five minutes. Until then, please enjoy the moment and take a look out your windows." _Groaning, Genesis lifted himself up to see what was going on. Past the fence that lined the side of the track, the teenager could see a whole herd of large yellow birds, along with a young boy and his father. They seemed to be ushering the chocobos through the gap in the fence and over the train tracks towards the other side.

"Oh…chocobos. Must be time to move pasture or something…" Genesis mumbled, returning to the comfortable position of lying down. Just when he was about to close his eyes, the sixteen year old remembered something crucial. Sitting up quickly, the familiar feeling of excitement replaced the feelings of fatigue that Genesis was experiencing. "Hey Angeal! Guess what?"

"Mmm….what?" Came Angeal's muffled response from the sofa across from Genesis.

"I know where we are, man! This is the Chocobo farm…it's not too far from Midgar at all! We're really close!" Genesis ended the last part in a bit of a singsong voice, his excitement waking himself up completely.

"Wait…what?" Angeal, questioned, turning over to face Genesis.

"I said…we're nearly at Midgar!" Genesis repeated, using hand motions to emphasize his point. "Where's your sense of hearing gone?"

"Oh! Midgar…right. Sorry, I'm just really tired. Someone's snoring kept me from sleeping." Angeal gave Genesis a glare, which softened to a smile after Genesis looked at him with sad, puppy eyes. "Just because you got heaps of rest…"

"Heh, sorry about my snoring. I'm surprised neither of my parents mentioned it to me…" Genesis felt the familiar vibrations of the train's engine starting up again. "Hey, at least we're on the road again! We're so close to Midgar now, I think we'll be off this train in about half an hour." "Wonderful…" Angeal mumbled, closing his eyes as the train began gaining speed.

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"Angeeeaaallll! Rise and shine, buddy!" Genesis called, laughing. Angeal slowly opened his eyes, seeing Genesis with his backpack on standing right over his sofa. Grumbling, Angeal slowly rose into a sitting position, his head peering out the window. Dark, ominous clouds covered the sky over the huge city of Midgar, which stretched out for at least a mile beyond Angeal's view. "Welcome to Midgar, Angeal."

"Whoa. It isn't…quite as I imagined. It's so…dark." Angeal mumbled, taking in the vast expanse of his new place of residence. Midgar was home to the ShinRa mega corporation, a company that was quickly gaining dominance among the energy industry. Genesis raised an eyebrow, dashing over to his own window to see the sights of the large city.

"Hey, check it out! It's an actual mako reactor!" Genesis exclaimed, his excited tone of voice making him sound like a small child. Out the window, the train passed one of the main mako reactors within the city. In large, block letters was printed 'MAKO REACTOR NUMBER 7." Below the complex structure, Genesis could see a faint glow of aqua green radiating from the bottom of the reactor. "Whoa."

"And that would probably be the mako, Genesis." Angeal strolled over to the window that his best friend was sitting at. Peering out the window, the train had quickly passed the seventh mako reactor in the largest city on the continent. By then, the two best friends could see the buildings towering over the streets above the plate of Midgar. Lights flickered around the entire expanse of buildings, completing the picture of the classic metropolis city. "Well, I guess you can't get much closer to a stereotyped city."

"No kidding." Genesis' eyes widened as the train zoomed past a sign that had the generic 'ShinRa Electric Power Company' logo on it.

"_All passengers, our final destination is approaching. I advise that all passengers gather up their belongings and make their way to the doors for arrival. Thankyou._"

"Angeaaall! This is it! We've made it! I can't wait!" Genesis punched his fist into the air, signalling his extreme levels of excitement. "I wonder what it's like…being in SOLDIER. I wonder how Sephiroth feels…" The bright, aqua eyes of Genesis Rhapsodos lit up, with the mention of his hero putting a wistful look on his face.

"Well…I reckon being in SOLDIER has a great deal of honour associated with it. They probably all have dreams of accomplishing something great. So many people look up to them, it's no surprise, really." Angeal mused.

"Oh, not you and your honour again." Genesis laughed, giving Angeal a playful smirk. "I think I'll be getting a lot of that when you're in SOLDIER, buddy. Imagine how much honour _you'll_ have if those other guys have 'a great deal'."

"Hmm, interesting thought…" Angeal added. "How much honour will I have?"

'Not enough to satisfy _you_!" Genesis continued his laughing. "Finally…now it's your turn to be mocked. I've been plotting my revenge ever since the start of the trip, you know."

"Just like you to do that." Angeal gave a small smile, despite his annoyance. It was usually his job to correct Genesis, even if it meant humiliation for either his friend or himself. After all, they both knew that Angeal was the slightly more mature one.

"_Attention all passengers. The train is now pulling into ShinRa headquarters. Please be aware that ID machines are currently being installed, so please take care when exiting the station." _

Genesis grinned, lifting up his backpack and grabbing his precious copy of LOVELESS, which still rested on the arm of the lounge. Angeal took hold of the Buster Sword, swinging it over his shoulder with care. The doors opened with a loud hiss, sending a rush of cold air into the heated first class cabin. Genesis shivered slightly as he jumped the gap between the train and the platform. Not that he minded.

Today, he was stepping into a new world, full of surprises. The great expanses of both Midgar and SOLDIER awaited him.

And Genesis could hardly wait.


	4. Welcome to ShinRa

**Disclaimer Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley and all other things relating to Final Fantasy VII belong to and are property of Square Enix AND NOT TO ME XD;**

Shuffling his hand around in the top of his overloaded backpack, Genesis managed to pull out the now slightly crumpled SOLDIER registration forms. He grinned uneasily at the receptionist, handing her the forms with extra care. If there was anything he _did not_ want to do, it was leave a bad first impression. Angeal was behind him, casually taking out his copies of the registration forms out of his pocket, neatly folded. He followed that with a smile to the receptionist, who smiled back. With a quiet sigh, Genesis gave Angeal an annoyed look. Angeal just shrugged, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Ah. So you two must be the new applicants for SOLDIER, am I correct?" The receptionist peered over the desk, her glasses falling onto the tip of her nose.

"Yes, that's us ma'am." Genesis tried to sound as polite as he possibly could.

"Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, both sixteen years of age from the rural town of Banora?"

Genesis rolled his eyes slightly. Who _else_ did she think he and Angeal were?

"Yup."

"It says here that your application forms were sent in about a month ago, so I'd assume you got pretty fast acceptance. Congratulations, welcome to ShinRa Electric Power Company."

The female receptionist stood up and offered a handshake to both Angeal and Genesis. With a little bit of hesitation, Genesis shook the woman's hand, a feeling of pride coming over him. Angeal did the same, proceeding to accept the welcome with a proud smile. "I'll just need you to wait here for a moment. We'll need someone to escort you to your dorms. Please, take a seat over there." The young woman pointed to a comfortable set of chairs that were just to the left of the large sliding doors.

Both Angeal and Genesis quickly walked over to where the woman was pointing, transporting their luggage with them. Angeal took a seat, settling into the soft, squishy chairs. Genesis, however, was transfixed by a vending machine that was across from him near the wall.

"Hey, look Angeal! They even sell dumbapple juice _here!_ I had no idea we exported this far out…" Pulling some loose gil out of his pocket, Genesis slipped the coins into the slot and punched the number, which soon sent a can of Banora White apple juice rolling down the shaft and into the large bottom container. The redheaded teenager reached his hand under the flap, pulling out a fresh, ice cold can of Banora White juice. With a contented sigh, Genesis took his place on the chair next to Angeal. Following a quick movement of his fingers, the can of apple juice popped open. Before taking a sip, Genesis looked over at Angeal.

"Hey, do you want some?" Genesis offered.

"Hmm? Oh, I'll pass. I'm not that thirsty." Angeal replied, waving a hand in slight distain.

"How do you stay so serious, man? You'll need to teach me that trick someday." With that said, Genesis put the can to his lips, taking a refreshing sip of the refrigerated juice. He sighed deeply, memories of Banora floating around in his head. "Oh man, this stuff is so good."

"Heh, and that has _absolutely nothing_ do to with the fact that it was your idea to make it…"

"Yup! Absolutely nothing to do with it!" Genesis chuckled, taking another mouthful. A few minutes passed, with the receptionist sitting at her desk filing some paper work. Both Genesis and Angeal remained quiet, not quite sure what the waiting was for. After another short period of time, Genesis eyed the receptionist again, who was now talking on the telephone.

"…well, it says here…yes, I'm telling you, the two from _Project G_…okay, good….so he's coming? Great, I'll go let them know…goodbye." The woman at the desk was hushed and spoke fast, but Genesis managed to pick up some the conversation. _…Project G?_

Just as he expected, the female receptionist briskly walked over to both himself and Angeal, who was staring off into space. Genesis nudged Angeal, who bounced slightly in the chair out of surprise.

"Okay, boys. I've got someone coming to escort you now. On the behalf of ShinRa Electric Power Company, I apologise for any inconvenience. Come this way, please." She quickly ushered both Genesis and Angeal out of their chairs and waved for them to come over towards the desk again. Sighing, Genesis dragged his suitcase along behind him. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing two exhausted teenage boys carting excessive amounts of luggage around. The woman then stopped them, and turned her head towards the door, a relieved smile coming over her face when she saw the people she was looking for.

"If I may, this is Lazard Deusericus, Director of SOLDIER. Accompanying him is SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth." The receptionist motioned towards the two members of ShinRa staff who had just walked into the foyer.

Genesis had to clasp his hand over his mouth, in order to stop his jaw from dropping down to the floor. He was standing in the presence of _him_. Sephiroth, _the _Sephiroth…the mightiest warrior of the entire elite force of SOLDIER. Even Angeal looked impressed, his expression changing from shocked to amused once he saw the look on his best friend's face. Who knew they would be getting such a grand welcome into ShinRa?

Sephiroth's expression was hardly detectable. It was routine for him to act as the role model for all SOLDIER operatives, especially newcomers. It also happened to be his job to welcome the new recruits, whether he really wanted to or not. He made a small hand motion towards both Genesis and Angeal, signalling some form of a greeting.

"Ah, so you are the new trainees, I gather? We've been expecting you. Welcome." Lazard stepped forward, offering his hand first to Angeal, who gave it a hearty shake with a slight smile. Genesis followed, his smile making his cheeks sore while he shook the hand of SOLDIER's Director.

"Well, I'm Genesis, and that's Angeal." Genesis added, making sure they didn't forget to introduce themselves.

"We're very honoured to be a part of both SOLDIER and ShinRa Electric Power Company." Angeal included, adding to what Genesis said. Sephiroth nodded, finally offering his hand for a shake like Lazard had done.

"Pleased to meet you two." Sephiroth's voice was monotonous as he shook the hands of both Genesis and Angeal, who were equally quiet. Genesis was in absolute awe as he let go, feeling very proud of himself. Angeal was silent, with only a smile indicating how he was feeling.

"Well, if you two would like to follow us, we'll lead to your dorms." Lazard said, beginning to turn around. Sephiroth did the same, indicating that Genesis and Angeal should follow on. Not missing a beat, the two best friends took hold of their luggage and tagged along behind both Lazard and Sephiroth. With a few buttons pressed by Lazard, the elevator sliding doors glided open, revealing a large room which all four of them proceeded to step into. "We'll be heading to floor 49, or more commonly, the SOLDIER floor. This is where all the facilities are located for SOLDIER members within the ShinRa building. You will be boarding with the other 3rd Class SOLDIERs, providing that you pass the test requirements. Not that I doubt your ability to take on SOLDIER, however." Lazard explained as the elevator slowly continued upward. Genesis shifted in place, a little unnerved. Angeal saw his friend's uneasiness, wondering why he was surprised about the initial testing to join the 3rd rank.

"Didn't you read the fine print?" Angeal whispered, eyeing Genesis again.

"What fine print?"

"You know…on the bottom of the application forms…" Angeal said as if it was perfectly common sense.

"It seems I didn't…" Genesis whispered back, an uneasy look still present on his face. Angeal sighed, his palm going to his head.

"Don't worry about it…I'll tell you once we get to the dorms and settle in."

The elevator continued rising, the little arrow just going past the 40th floor on the indicator.

"Whoa…how many floors does the ShinRa building actually _have_?" Genesis wondered allowed, seeing numbers ranging up to 69 on the floor indicator.

"The headquarters of ShinRa have 70 floors, with the top five restricted access to high ranking staff only." Lazard informed, making sure his last phrase was clear. With a loud 'ding', the elevator slowed to a stop, signalling that they had reached their destination. Filing off the elevator, Genesis looked around, seeing many corridors that led off to various places. "If you'll excuse me, I have important matters that urgently need me. Sephiroth will continue showing you around. He knows this place like the back of his hand." Without another word, Lazard quickly walked off, waving a white gloved hand back at Angeal and Genesis. The elevator doors slide shut, leaving Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal standing in the foyer of the 49th floor of the ShinRa building.

"Follow me." Sephiroth said, walking towards the left hand corridor. Once again, Genesis found himself dragging a suitcase along behind him as he slowly made his way in Sephiroth's direction. Angeal followed behind Genesis, who also beginning to get weary of the journey. Looking around, Genesis began taking in the sights of the SOLDIER floor, a place where he would certainly be spending a lot of time. The whole floor was sleek and silver, giving a very professional feel to the building. As the trio of teenagers made their way around another corner, they found themselves in the main area of the 49th floor. Steps made their way down to a carpeted area, which had a few lounge suites and pot plants to the side of the window.

"This is the main section of the SOLDIER floor. The briefing room is to your right, the training room is a little past that, and the dorms are straight ahead. Down that corridor, to the right." Sephiroth pointed a gloved hand towards the respective locations, his voice still devoid of any emotion. "Can you manage that by yourself?"

"Y-yes, Sephiroth…umm…sir…" Genesis stuttered, a little unsure of how to address a 1st class SOLDIER.

"Just Sephiroth will do." The silver-haired teenager then turned, making his way towards the briefing room. "See you 'round."

Genesis offered a wave, but Sephiroth had already disappeared around the corner, leaving himself and Angeal alone in the middle of the SOLDIER floor.

"He was sure a little blunt…" Genesis wondered, running his hand through his chestnut hair.

"You would be too if you're expected to be a role model for almost anybody joining SOLDIER. He's got a lot of pressure in his position, you know." Angeal added, sounding very justified in what he said.

"Heh, I guess you're right. Like _always_." Genesis rolled his eyes, laughing at Angeal. His best friend gave him a shove, sending Genesis forward a little.

"Well, we'd better get moving." Angeal said, chuckling. "I myself would like to rid us of this luggage and rest for a little bit."

"Same here." Genesis said, giving his suitcase a frustrated look. His backpack was starting to make his back sweat, his red jumper looking darkened around the straps. "Down the corridor we go, then." With that said, the two friends made their way towards the corridor that would lead them to the dorms.

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With a contented sigh, Genesis flopped down onto the welcoming mattress of his very own bed within the ShinRa headquarters. Closing his eyes, the redhead took a moment to relax, letting his breathing slow down after the excitement of the day. Angeal's bed was across from him, against the other side of the wall. He too was lying on his bed, doing exactly the same thing as Genesis.

'Well buddy, we made it. What do you say to that, huh?" Genesis proceeded to sit up on his bed, a smile still present on his face.

"We did pretty good. That Lazard guy didn't seem to think too bad of us, at least. I don't know about Sephiroth though." Angeal responded, sliding from the bed to the floor to unzip his suitcase

"Nah, he's probably always like that. I wonder if he ever socialises much with other people…" Genesis pondered on the thought, also beginning to unpack his belongings. "Far out…I don't recall ever packing _this…_ " Genesis pulled out a small plastic bag, which contained several dumbapples. "Mothers…" he muttered, taking one out and biting into it. Angeal looked over, chuckling at Genesis. Whether he liked it or not, Angeal had always noticed how much Genesis was babied by his parents.

"It's like they don't think I can look after myself." The redhead raised an eyebrow, stashing the Banora Whites back into his suitcase and taking out spare clothes instead. Luckily, the two had seized an empty room that only had two beds in it, which gave them some privacy for the time being. There was a small chest of drawers at the end of each of the beds, giving some space for personal belongings. With a hefty sigh, Genesis scooped up his clothes and proceeded to dump them into one of the drawers, closing it quickly. "I'll probably be stuck in a SOLDIER uniform most of the time anyway…" he muttered, moving back over to his suitcase.

Angeal was also filling up his section of personal space, with the two of them remaining silent for a little while. When the unpacking was finally done, a knock resounded on their closed door. Genesis quickly pulled the door open, shocked to see Sephiroth standing in front of the door.

"Lazard wants to see you two. He said it's regarding tomorrow." the elite 1st class SOLIDER proceeded to walk away, leaving Genesis standing at the door, mouth open.

"Genesis, you've got to learn to keep your mouth shut." Angeal sighed, moving through the open door and motioning for his best friend to follow him. Quickly grabbing his unfinished apple off his bed, Genesis closed the door and jogged after Angeal, who was now half way up the corridor.

"Angeal, wait!" Genesis finally caught up, grabbing his friend's arm to steady himself.

"Come on." Angeal said, and the two headed towards the briefing room.

"Oh man, this is so exciting. We're going to be briefed for the first time!" Genesis quickened his pace, his eyes lighting up. His excitement bubbled up inside of him as he entered the room, where Lazard was patiently waiting for them.

"Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, I'll be expecting great things of you."

"We'll try our best, sir!" Genesis stood at attention, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Angeal did the same, giving a nod to the Director.

"As of tomorrow, you will be promoted to official 3rd class SOLDIERs, providing you pass the testing we give to all new recruits." Lazard folded his arms, making his explanation clear. Genesis chipped in, wanting to get an answer to his question.

"Sir, what exactly is the testing?" Genesis feebly asked, trying not to interrupt.

"What, didn't you read the fine print?" Lazard questioned, raising an eyebrow. Genesis rolled his eyes as Lazard chuckled slightly.

"We'll give you a health check-up and a fitness test to see if you're up to the standards, that's all. You'll also receive your SOLDIER conditioning tomorrow. The process can be a little draining, so get a good deal of rest to ensure you perform at your best."

Genesis nodded. He did read about the conditioning, and nothing that anybody said about it would turn him off the process. If it meant joining SOLDIER, he'd do it.

"Now, onto more important matters." Lazard turned his chair around, opening the cabinet beneath his desk. "It's the policy that all members of SOLDIER have in their possession a cell phone. They come installed with all the necessary programs that are essential for SOLDIER. All you'll need to worry about is the mailing system and actually answering your phone." Genesis and Angeal looked on in curiosity as Lazard produced two phones from the drawer in the cabinet. One was a sleek, metallic red one, while the other was the same, only black.

Angeal stepped back, letting Genesis choose first.

"Take your pick." Angeal said, amused. Lazard held out the two phones, with Genesis immediately having an affinity towards the red one. Angeal came beside Genesis and the two of them took hold of their newly acquired cell phones. Genesis immediate flipped the phone open and hit the 'on' button, waiting for the screen to load.

"Now…about your mail. Your phone numbers are already registered with the company. Just register your name and we'll know the phone belongs to you. You'll receive mail from time to time, so don't forget to check your inbox, too." Lazard explained as Genesis fiddled around with his phone, concentrating hard on the screen while his fingers whizzed away on the keypad. "I see you've gathered how to use it pretty fast. With new technology emerging all the time, that will certainly be an advantage. Well, that's all I've got for you two. So, Angeal and Genesis. I hope to see you bright and early in the morning. I'll send you a mail when I'm ready for you."

Angeal was now too exploring his mobile phone, his head down and concentrating. Genesis looked up, giving a salute to the director.

"Sure thing, sir!" Genesis exclaimed, closing his sleek crimson phone and sliding it into his pocket.

"We'll see you tomorrow, sir." Angeal concluded, turning around to exit the room. Genesis gave a half wave, and followed his best friend through the sliding door into the main halls of the SOLDIER floor.

"We'd better finish sorting our things out, huh?" Genesis mused, about to reach into his pocket to obtain his phone. Before he could, the device vibrated suddenly, causing Genesis to raise an eyebrow. Quickly flipping it open, a message came on screen, displaying the name, 'Angeal Hewley' at the top. By then, Angeal was laughing, sliding his phone away into his pocket.

"Hey, who else am I supposed to test this thing out on anyway?" Angeal said, smiling helplessly at Genesis, who was giving him 'the look', complete with a smirk.

"I'll have to pay you back with some spam later, buddy. For now, let's head back to our dorm." With the two best friends laughing, Genesis and Angeal headed back down the dorms corridor.

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A/N: YES! This chapter was 1000 words longer than my previous some of my previous chapters :3; The next one I plan to be 4000 and above…I really need to make my chappies longer ToT; Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, cause I enjoyed writing it! Same process as always…if you see any errors, typos or whatever, tell me! 8D

- Lioneh the cheetion


	5. Wings

**Disclaimer Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley and all other things relating to Final Fantasy VII belong to and are property of Square Enix AND NOT TO ME XD;**

A loud yawn echoed throughout the halls of the SOLDIER floor. Genesis Rhapsodos was reclining in one of the chairs, his head down looking at his crimson phone. Angeal was next to him, silently observing one of the pot plants near the window. Both had been awoken by a loud knock on their door about an hour ago, leaving them little time to ready themselves. However, Genesis was not in the least pleased with the hour they were woken up.

"It's still_ dark_ outside, and this phone says it's 7 AM…it's too early." Genesis grumbled, flipping his phone shut.

"Well, if I recall, it's always dark in Midgar. Those clouds never seem to go away." Angeal mumbled to Genesis, who was rubbing his eyes. A few other members of SOLDIER were wandering around the floor, paying little to no attention to either of them. Genesis didn't really care, all he wanted was a little more sleep. He leaned his head back, letting his eyelids gently close. He breathed in deeply, letting a rather long sigh escape his lungs as he exhaled. Unfortunately, a familiar buzz from his phone vibrated his pocket, disturbing him from his rest. With a grumble, Genesis reached into his pocket and flipped the phone open, scanning the message.

_To: Genesis Rhapsodos  
__From: Lazard, Director of SOLDIER_

_Good morning, Genesis. I hope you've rested well in your first night of SOLDIER. There's a slight change of plans, I'd like you to meet me outside the training room. Come alone._

_Best regards,  
__Lazard Deusericus, Director of SOLDIER_

Blinking a few times to get some sleep out of his eyes, Genesis quickly flipped his phone shut. He arose from his seat, pulling the crinkles out of his shirt. Angeal was about to follow, but Genesis shook his head.

"Lazard wanted me to go alone. Sorry, man. Your turn is probably afterwards."

Angeal nodded in an understanding manner, settling down back into the chair and reaching for his own phone. "Wish me luck, hey?" Genesis said, striding off in the direction of the company training room.

"Good luck!" Angeal called, waving a hand to his redheaded friend as he walked past the sliding doors into the training room.

Yawning, Genesis proceeded inside, finding a patient Lazard and another man standing near him. Being the good SOLDIER that he was, Genesis stood at attention and gave Lazard a quick, formal salute before relaxing. Lazard smiled, motioning for Genesis to follow him to the other side of the monitoring station of the actual room for training.

"First, we shall begin with a routine health check. Professor Hojo, if you may." Lazard motioned Genesis to take seat, while Professor Hojo began the examination. To Genesis, it was just like a doctor's appointment that his parents forced him to go to once a month. Ironically, he was due for another meeting with a doctor sometime in that week.

"Tongue out, boy." Hojo barked. Genesis rolled his eyes before doing as he was told, feeling the small wooden stick on his tongue just like he remembered it. He used to hate having to do it as a kid, and frankly, he didn't really see the point in the exercise. As clueless as he was now, Genesis made an attempt not to complain about anything that was done in today's examination. He was ready to put up with anything that ShinRa put in his way on the path to becoming a SOLDIER. _No, to becoming…a hero._

After a few more minutes of following Hojo's blunt instructions, Genesis was finally released from the chair. Feeling quite relieved, Genesis sighed contently as he pulled his jumper down. He guessed that they _did_ need a heart rate to measure how fit he was. Hojo was hunched over a computer screen now, entering bits and pieces of data while he growled in frustration. Lazard was watching over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the furious typing of Professor Hojo on the screen. Genesis swayed in place, eager to get on with the rest of the check ups.

"Well, it seems, according to the data…that you're in good health. I swear this infuriating machine has some faults, since you don't really…" Hojo trailed off as Lazard gave him a warning glance. Clearing his throat, the director of SOLDIER motioned for Genesis to follow him over towards the training room sliding door.

"Now, we commence your physical fitness testing. Once you enter the training room, I'd like you to perform as many squats as you can in a single minute. The test will begin once I give the signal." Lazard explained, slowly and clearly so Genesis could understand exactly what he was being asked to do. With a nod and a quick smile, Genesis proceeded into the room with clear walls, taking his jumper off and revealing his shirt underneath. Stepping into the middle of the room, the redhead breathed in deeply, letting the air out of his lungs slowly and evenly. He looked over at Lazard, who gave him a thumbs up, signalling that the test had begun.

Genesis bent his knees as far as they could go, and with a swing of his arms, lifted himself up again. This same series of moments occurred as the test continued, his face turning a shade a deeper red after each squat. Much to his relief, Lazard signalled him again, notifying Genesis that he need no longer squat. Taking shallow breaths, Genesis stumbled out of the training room, a few beads of sweat on his forehead. Professor Hojo was staring down at his clipboard, his mouth gaping at the results.

"No…this isn't right. Not even an excellent 2nd class SOLDIER could achieve these results…50 squats in the minute…unbelievable…" The Professor trailed off, grumbling as he walked towards the data machine once more. Even Lazard looked impressed, giving Genesis a reassuring smile as the redheaded teenager tried to regain his breath.

"Well, you're certainly fit for the job, Genesis Rhapsodos. As of this moment, you are now officially ranked as a 3rd Class SOLDIER. Congratulations." Lazard spoke, offering a hand. Genesis managed to shake the directors hand, feeling rather accomplished that he had officially made it into SOLDIER. "Professor Hojo will take you for your conditioning momentarily, he just needs to finish entering the data for your profile. You can take a seat if you like."

"Thanks." Genesis breathed, sitting on the chair with a heavy sigh. He slowly pulled his sleek phone out of his pocket, flipping it open and giving the screen a quick rub with his finger. Sliding his fingers over the keys, he quickly typed a text message to Angeal, notifying his best friend of his pleasing results. Feeling a push on his shoulder, Genesis abruptly looked up, seeing Hojo exiting the room.

"Hurry up!" Hojo commanded, leaving Genesis little time to store his phone into his pocket and catch up with the grumpy professor. He caught sight of Angeal as he went into a corridor, giving his friend the thumbs up sign with a grin. Feeling a vibration in his pocket, Genesis pulled out his phone and chuckled to himself. Angeal had sent him a replying message that read, 'Sure, I can beat 50 squats in a minute ;) Congrats, man!' .

Following Hojo into one of the elevators, Genesis stood next to the professor as the elevator began its ascent. An eerie silence was all that accompanied the two of them as the floor numbers ticked upwards, stopping once they reached '68.' _68? Isn't that one of those…restricted floors?_

"Follow me." Hojo grumbled at Genesis, who was right behind him as they stepped out of the elevator. Shivering slightly, the redheaded teen kept close behind Professor Hojo, a little freaked out about walking where he probably shouldn't be. As long as Hojo was nearby, it gave Genesis enough explanation to say why he was there if other people saw him. Rounding the corner of another corridor, the two passed a series of tanks, which seemed to be filled with a bubbling, green liquid. Genesis' eyes widened as he passed a few of the large test tubes, seeing the head of a horrific monster through the glass of one of the tanks of liquid. Quickening his pace, he continued following the professor down the corridor.

Thankfully, within a few minutes, Genesis found himself in the comforts of a room that looked slightly less menacing that the last. He could only gather that is was the laboratory of the professor, judging by the kinds of contraptions that he saw littered around the place. Professor Hojo pointed sharply to a chair that was placed by a small table, indicating that Genesis should sit there. It was now that the youngest member of the Rhapsodos family was beginning to get a little nervous. He'd never feared injections before, but this atmosphere was making him feel a little uptight about it.

Watching Hojo cautiously, Genesis saw him filling up a syringe with that same turquoise liquid that he had seen before. Before coming over Genesis had expected Hojo to do, the professor hurried to another bench top. His hunched over shoulders prevented Genesis seeing what Hojo was doing, making the redhead worry slightly more. Finally, the professor dutifully came over and sat adjacent to Genesis, motioning for him to lift his left sleeve up. With a gulp, Genesis did as he was expected to do, feeling Hojo wipe on antiseptic lotion. Before he had another chance to prepare himself, Genesis bit his lip hard when the needle pierced his skin. Closing his eyes, only the tiniest squeak escaped his lips as he continued to bite down, nearly drawing blood. A feeling of relief washed over Genesis as the needle came out, with Hojo quickly ushering him out of the chair. Disposing of the syringe, Hojo made his way back towards the elevator, motioning Genesis to follow him.

Obediently, the teenager followed Professor Hojo back down the corridor and into the very same elevator that they were in moments ago. Rubbing his arm slightly, Genesis winced in pain as the elevator arrived back onto the SOLDIER floor, where he stepped out and waited for further instructions from Hojo.

"You can send the other boy in now." The Professor said gruffly, moving off towards the training room once again. Genesis hobbled over to where Angeal was slumped in the chair, appearing to have dozed off. Genesis snickered slightly, giving his friend a little push in the shoulder.

"Your turn, Angeal." Genesis mumbled, sitting down onto one of the sofas next to the chair. With a grumble, Angeal slowly got up, clearly still sleepy from such an early wake up call. "How was it?" Angeal inquired.

"Not too bad. The needle stung a little…"

"Oh. Nothing to worry about then." Angeal chuckled, wandering over towards the training room.

Genesis slumped down into the sofa, feeling a little dozy and faint after the injection. Lazard did warn him that the process was 'draining', he supposed. He lay down on the sofa, closing his eyes for a few minutes. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a searing pain shot through his left shoulder. Grumbling, Genesis rubbed the spot where his shoulder ached, careful not to bump his left arm. The pain shocked him again, causing the redheaded teenager to let out a cry in discomfort.

"Whoa…" Genesis groaned, this time standing up and continuing to rub his left shoulder. A third time, the pain jolted him like an electric shock, sending his knees to the carpet floor. Genesis whimpered in pain once again as his shoulder throbbed with agony, the pain not ceasing this time. Bent over, he let out a final cry as the discomfort reached its peak, his voice echoing throughout the SOLDIER floor. "What…what's happening…?" Genesis whispered through clenched teeth, his hands now gripping the carpeted floor forcefully. The pain eased off a little, allowing Genesis to lift his head slightly.

A silken black feather rested next to him on the floor, followed by another one which floated down past his head. Turning his head, his brightly coloured _mako _eyes widened in complete and utter shock with what he was witnessing. A magnificent, single black wing protruded from his left shoulder, the lights of the roof reflecting off the velvet feathers. "Holy…"

Another feather floated past his face, landing gently on the floor beside him. To his dismay, his favourite red jumper and shirt now had holes torn through them, leaving him no way to take them off while the wing was still present. With the pain now dissipating, Genesis slowly lifted his torso up into a kneeling position, with his newly acquired wing retracting to his side. With a little bit of concentration, he managed extend and retract the wing by his own control. To it's full extent, the silken black wing brushed feather tips with the roof, indicating that it must have been rather large. Craning his neck around to his left, Genesis took a good long look at his shoulder, his right arm reaching over and giving himself a pinch.

"Crap…I have _got_ to be dreaming…yeah…dreaming, that's it…" Genesis trailed off, whispering quietly. His eyes were still wide with shock as he examined his wing, giving it a little bit of a flap to test it out. Thankfully, all the SOLDIERs were already out for the day on assignments and training, leaving no one to witness him suddenly sprouting a wing. Putting his face into his hands, Genesis groaned, feeling a headache overcoming him. _So, apparently this is Lazard's idea of 'draining', huh?_

Struggling, Genesis attempted to stand up, the added weight of the wing making it a difficult processes. Grumbling, he finally found himself on two feet again, despite his awkward appearance. Looking down, the redhead saw about twenty feathers on the floor, a telltale sign that something suspicious had happened. Genesis bent down, scooping one of them up into his hands and closing his hand around it. A vibration from his pocket caused him to jump in surprise, dropping the feather. Hastily moving his hand into his pocket, Genesis pulled out his phone and flipped it to the screen.

_To: Genesis Rhapsodos  
__From: Angeal Hewley_

_Hey, buddy! I got 49 squats down in that minute…one away from beating you! Darn it! I'm heading up for my injections shortly, so I'll see you soon._

_- Angeal_

"Oh, just wonderful. He's coming out soon…only to see me like this…" Genesis rolled his eyes in annoyance, energy slowly returning to his body. Without another moment to loose, he kneeled down onto the floor, picking up as many feathers as he could to hide the evidence. Thoughts raced about in his mind, raising many unanswered questions in his head. _Why? Do SOLDIERS normally have wings? Was it that stuff Hojo put into that syringe? At this rate, I'll never find out…_

Picking up the last visible feather, Genesis returned to a standing position. Just as his eyes scanned the doors of the training room, the sliding door glided open. To his horror, both Angeal and Hojo stepped out into the foyer of the SOLDIER floor. The Professor's clipboard left his hand and connected with the floor as he laid eyes on Genesis, who was just as dumbfound as he was. Angeal just stared, his navy blue eyes wide in disbelief at his best friend. A shaky finger on Hojo's part pointing at the redhead was less than comforting to Genesis, who just shrugged his shoulders after recovering from the shock. With his old self returning, Genesis extended his wing to reveal it in all it's glory, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Genesis Rhapsodos, SOLDIER 3rd Class." The redhead triumphantly spoke, his smile turning into a grin. Maybe having a wing wasn't all that bad, contradicting what Genesis had previously thought.

"What on Gaia's name are you playing at, boy!?" Professor Hojo exclaimed, reaching down to pick up his clipboard. Angeal was silent, a little unsure of what to think of his best friend.

"How would I know?" Genesis responded, a questioning look on his face. "You're the one who gave the injection, not me."

"No, I refuse to believe that my handiwork _created_ something like _that_!" Hojo spat, grabbing Angeal by the arm and forcing him to follow him towards the elevator. "That infuriating Hollander…it was probably his idea of…revenge…" Hojo muttered under his breath, quickly stepping into the elevator with Angeal close behind. Genesis, now coming to terms with what had just happened, shook his head a little. He sat down on sofa, relaxing his wing to his side. Quickly taking possession of his phone, Genesis quickly typed up a text message to Angeal.

_To: Angeal Hewley  
__From: Genesis Rhapsodos_

_Angeal, I'm sorry. I have no idea what happened , or why it did…but I'm still the same old Genesis, okay? I'm really freaked out at the moment, but hey, maybe having a wing isn't too bad…I hope…_

Just as Genesis hit the 'send' button, his ears picked up the sound of the sliding door of the training room. Hearing footsteps, the redhead looked up, seeing Lazard approaching. _How on earth does he manage to stay so calm!?_

"Come with me." Lazard spoke bluntly, motioning for Genesis to follow him. "We'll need to have your current health checked again. Hurry." Quickly following on the heels of the Director, Genesis kept his wing to his side as much as possible, in a vain attempt to make it less noticeable. Or knock anything over, for that matter. For the second time in the day, he found himself seated in the same chair as before, awaiting Hojo to come back from the laboratory. Running his hand through his hair, Genesis waited silently while Lazard was frantically typing away on a regular computer, apparently searching for some kind of explanation. The sound of the door made Genesis turn his head, seeing a stressed Hojo shuffling into the room, dragging Angeal along behind him. "We'll have to keep a close eye on this one, too." Hojo muttered, releasing his grip from Angeal's wrist and ordering him to sit down.

"Professor, we'll need to repeat the health examination on him." Lazard pressed, wanting to make sure that there wasn't anything else wrong with Genesis. If the results proved negative, he could finally get on with his day. With a growl, Hojo repeated the same tests all over again, coming up with very similar results. The only exceptions were the effects that mako usually has on the body.

"I'm finding this all very suspicious, Hojo. Mako enhances one's senses, Jenova cells increase strength and stamina, but never before has any of our SOLDIERs mysteriously grown a wing." With a sceptical look, Lazard eyed Professor Hojo, awaiting some form of explanation.

"The contents of the syringe were exactly the same as they always have been, Director. I see no reason why this one should have any different reaction. I can only discuss it with Hollander and see if he comes up with anything. Which I doubt, mind you, knowing his incompetence…" Hojo trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. Moving back over to Genesis, Hojo abruptly took hold of one of numerous feathers which comprised the redhead's wing. With a quick hand motion, the Professor pulled the soft, black feather from the wing, sending a yelp of pain from Genesis. His reflexes acted, his wing suddenly at its full extent, nearly sending Hojo off his feet.

"Watch where you put that wing, boy!" Hojo grumbled, his hunched over figure moving towards the door.

"Hey, you pulled one of _my_ feathers out of _my _wing. I can feel it, you know." Genesis growled, relaxing his wing once more. Meanwhile, Angeal was silently watching the whole ordeal, seemingly unaffected by his previous injection. Truth be told, the son of Gillian Hewley was scared out of his wits after seeing what had happened to his best friend. _I wonder…is he _really_ the same old Genesis? _

A/N: Whoot! I was looking forward to writing this chapter so much! I can't wait to make this more action-filled now that Genny has his wing. Angeal's will be explained later…but for now, I shall reveal nothing more :3 Keep on reading', folks! The adventures of Genesis in SOLDIER have only just begun…

Note me if any typos or mistakes show up!

- Lioneh the cheetion! :D


	6. First Flight

A/N: Oh, oh, oh! I'm so sorry for the mega, unannounced hiatus, but there you go. I was naughty and GTB didn't gain any love for about two to three months :c sorry about that, guys. I lacked inspiration for a long time…and half of this was written over a month ago, and then I finally decided to continue. YAY! Anyway, enjoy…this chapter's about average length for me. -shifty eyes-

**Disclaimer: Nothing in relation to Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley or any other characters mentioned in this story belongs to me. Final Fantasy VII and all that is it associated with belongs to Square Enix. o.o;**

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"Hollander!" Hojo barked into his cell phone, clutching a single black feather in his hand. The grumpy professor was residing in his laboratory once again, this time without either of the new SOLDIER recruits. "One of your disastrous failures from Project G has _grown_ a wing!"

After a moment of silence, Professor Hollander's end of the phone crackled into life. Unimpressed, Hojo growled at his fellow colleague, slamming a fist down on the metal bench behind him. "I never knew your inexperience could produce something quite as remarkable as that."

"I'd assume that this would be Angeal, Hojo?" Hollander replied, fingering his chair in annoyance as he held the phone to his ear. Professor Hojo raised a palm to his head, shaking his head in disbelief.

"…no. The other one." Hojo grumbled under his breath.

"But Genesis was classed as a failure. He was nothing but normal." Hollander said matter-of-factly.

"Apparently not, professor. I've analysed one of the feathers…completely contaminated with the cells of Jenova. Perhaps…the cells that Genesis received when he was in the fetal stage lay dormant until now?"

"…completely ridiculous. My research-"

"Your research, Hollander, is the grade of an amateur scientist. It would be the best possible hypothesis for this occurrence, supported by the fact that this happened several minutes after the injection. The Jenova cells were stimulated by the ones that were injected into the boy, thus producing the rapid growth of his…wing, as you may call it." Hojo explained, quite confident that this would definitely outsmart Hollander. "The injection site was very close to where the wing sprouted from, thus explaining why it happened so fast."

There was no response from Hollander's end, only a muffled growl from the inferior professor. "That only leaves the issue of why the second boy did not suffer any side-effects." Hojo commented, rubbing his chin in thought.

"…he does have a different cell structure to that of Genesis. Angeal was, after all, born directly from his own mother and not with another human's cells. It was my first method of experimentation that led to Genesis suffering from an unstable genetic structure." Hollander reluctantly agreed.

Hojo stifled a laugh, an amused expression passing over his face.

"Well…time will tell in what else will happen to the results of Project G."

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Genesis leaned back in his chair, letting out a yawn of fatigue in the process. His elegant black wing lay relaxed at his left shoulder, the harsh lights of the training room reflecting off the shafts of the feathers. Angeal sat close by, leaning forward in his own chair. Both friends sat in silence while they awaited the return of the Director, being orderly strictly not to leave the room. Wincing, Genesis moved his left arm towards his wing, wanting to feel the black feathers on his fingertips. His shoulder ached in pain as the inflamed injection spot flared up again, restricting his movement within his arm.

"Holy…that feels so bizarre." Genesis shivered slightly as he ran his fingers down the feathers, feeling an odd sensation at the touch of his hand. Angeal eyes his friend suspiciously, still a little hesitant of both himself and Genesis. "Angeal, are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Angeal snapped out of his daze, looking over at Genesis.0

"You look…bothered." Genesis pouted, moving his wing slightly.

"Well…_that_ might have something to do with it." Angeal mumbled, pointing a finger at the ebony black wing. Genesis shrugged, looking down at the ground.

"Hey…look, I'm still the same guy. I promise." Genesis said, his voice in a reassuring tone.

"…how can you be so sure? Who knows what they injected…what if…"

"…what if you get a wing too? Heck, I don't see anything wrong with having one, if you look on the bright side." Genesis smiled, gently retracting his wing.

"I suppose so." Angeal muttered, returning the smile from Genesis with a slight grimace.

With the familiar sound of the sliding door, Genesis looked over towards the entrance to the training room. Lazard now stood in front of the door, an emotionless look covering his face. However, it was quickly replaced by a calm smile from the Director as he moved over towards where the redhead was sitting.

"Well, Genesis, it seems that there is nothing to report on that wing of yours. The tests on the feather came out as negative, proving that the wing is entirely your cells. Some more proper investigation will occur in the next few weeks to finalize the results. Whether it was something within the syringe that all SOLDIERS receive or something else…time will tell."

Genesis sighed in relief, glad to hear that at least there was nothing _alien_ about him. At least…for the time being. "As for you, Angeal…we'll keep a regular monitor on you to see if you were also affected by your injection. I shouldn't worry to much, though." Lazard said reassuringly, looking over at Angeal who gave a nod. "Now, where were we…" Lazard paused for a moment, thinking back before Genesis had discovered a wing. "Ah, that would be correct. We'll need to issue you with some uniforms…though I'm not too sure about yours, Genesis. That wing will tear through if something should trigger the appearance of it again."

Genesis shifted uncomfortably, being reminded of his clothes which were now torn.

"Sir…I'm not quite sure how to…make the wing disappear." Genesis mumbled, eyeing his wing with annoyance. "For all I know…it could be permanent. Maybe I could…"

"…could what?" Lazard raised an eyebrow.

"…uh…I'd like to…test it out." Genesis gave his wing a small flap, hinting at what he wanted to do.

"We can't let his get out to the public, Genesis. Where do you propose?" Lazard folded his arms, reluctant to let the redheaded SOLDIER out into the public sectors of Midgar. "This isn't an everyday issue that we're dealing with."

"Well…it's still early morning. I doubt that many people would be about…especially above the plate." Genesis suggested, a hopeful look in his glowing mako eyes. Lazard sighed, a hand meeting with his face.

"…I suppose so. The training room isn't exactly suitable for…flight. It looks like you'll need special training in this aspect anyway…" Moving over towards the entrance, Lazard motioned to both Genesis and Angeal. _Hmm…it's about time I let loose some of the things that ShinRa has been participating in…_

"Genesis, Angeal. You may stay within the boundaries of Sector 8, but no where beyond. Those are orders. I'll mail you when I desire your return. Upon your arrival, we will begin intensive training that will prepare you properly for SOLDIER. You are dismissed."

Lazard nodded at the two new members of SOLDIER, motioning towards the door. Getting up from his chair, Genesis kept his wing to his side, fearful that it may dissipate before he was able to actually put it to use. Angeal followed his redheaded best friend as they filed out of the training room.

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Genesis Rhapsodos breathed in deeply, extending his wing to full length while exhaling. Angeal watched his best friend from the edge of the Sector 8 fountain, wondering if Genesis would ever make it off the ground with _one wing._ Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, the redhead quickly looked over at Angeal, who was giving Genesis the thumbs up.

"Okay…here it goes, Angeal." Genesis whispered, bowing his head. His chestnut hair fell over his face, covering his excited mako eyes as Genesis began to flap his wing up and down. Bending his knees, Genesis let his wing beat faster and faster, the dust of the ground billowing up around the gusts of wind he was creating. With one final stroke of his jet black wing, the redheaded SOLDIER leaped into the air. Angeal looked up in surprise, trying to spot where exactly Genesis was. _He couldn't have possibly flown that fast on his first try…could he?_

Before Angeal had another moment to ponder, a sudden force pushed him square in the shoulders, sending him flying backwards into the fountain. Telltale black feathers floated past Angeal's face as he sat up, spitting water out of his mouth in disgust. "…apparently not." He muttered, turning around and seeing Genesis doubled over on the ground past the fountain, laughing. His wing was still extended to full length, flapping slightly as the redhead continued to laugh, his face now a deep shade of pink.

"Oh…Angeal…I'm sorry…I couldn't resist," Genesis spoke between giggles, clutching his sides. Water dripped down Angeal's face, a small smile appearing on his face as he shook his head at his friend's antics. He heaved himself out of the fountain, splashing water over the stone cold concrete that paved the ground. Genesis had managed to pull himself together, composing himself as he forced himself into a kneeling position. A few grazes marked his now torn pants, suggesting that he hadn't quite perfected the art of landing.

" …I should've known." Angeal said, offering a hand to Genesis. Surprised, the redhead accepted and with his friend's help, pulled himself up. This was not without, of course, a complimentary shove from Angeal the moment he had regained his stance.

"Hey!" Genesis protested, giving Angeal a look. A knowing smile was all that hinted at what Angeal was thinking, annoying Genesis all the more.

"Well, what more do you expect? You pushed me into a _fountain._" Angeal replied, raising his eyebrow in a questioning manner at the redheaded SOLDIER.

"Uh…well…true, I guess…" Genesis trailed off, lowering his head and chuckling slightly. Angeal laughed a little himself, almost wishing that he himself had the gift of flight. The two childhood friends stood in silence for a while, both subconsciously waiting for the orders from Lazard to arrive. Genesis surveyed the empty Sector of Midgar, suspecting that people should start arising from their homes soon. Shifting uncomfortably, the redhead tried to conceal his jet black wing by drawing it as close as he could, his feelings of worry growing as each second passed.

'Hey, Angeal…maybe we should head back…" Genesis spoke quietly, beginning to head in the general direction of the ShinRa building.

"Lazard hasn't messaged. There's still time if you wanted to…fly some more…" Angeal shrugged, looking over at Genesis. His friend shrugged, a little unsure of what to do.

'What if…someone saw?"

"…that's never stopped you before." Angeal chuckled, motioning upwards with his right hand. "Look, if I see any sign of life, I'll call you. That way, if your phone vibrates, just _fly_ to the ShinRa building. I can meet up with you there."

Genesis scratched his head in thought, an uncertain look appearing on his face.

"I still don't know, Angeal…this isn't exactly 'normal', considering the circumstances," Genesis mumbled, a little reluctant to take any more risks that could land him being exiled from SOLDIER before he even began training.

"Hey, you there!"

Genesis spun around in fright, desperate to see where the voice was coming from. At that same instant, his silken wing dissipated into nothing, a few black feathers drifting off into the breeze. Biting his lip, Genesis was relieved yet saddened at the same time, disappointed to see that he lacked the ability to fly. On the other hand, it saved him explaining his _wing_ to the civilian of Midgar who had spoken to him.

"Huh?" Genesis said, finding himself looking at a young woman a little older than himself. Angeal's concern melted into his usual, relaxed state as he laid eyes on the female, glad to see that she didn't look at them with suspicion.

"Oh, it's just two kids…" she muttered, turning on her heel to continue in her morning duties. With a faint sigh, Genesis slumped his shoulders, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Well, we've got no excuse to stay out here now…I reckon Lazard's going to message any minute…" Genesis reasoned, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable. "At any rate, people will still look at me funny with clothes like _this…"_ Genesis tugged at the tattered bits of fabric that surrounded the hole where his wing had sprouted from. To his surprise, Genesis found traces of blood on his fingers after touching the torn material, his fingers tainted a light shade of red. "Oh, just _great_."

"Blood?" Angeal said, mildly concerned. He peered over at his friend's left shoulder, seeing his both his jumper and shirt stained with blood. "I suppose it should expected, buddy. That wing was rather…um, sudden, you know."

Shivering, Genesis nodded, eager to return to the warmth of the ShinRa building.

"Can we go now? It's getting cold…" the redhead muttered, bringing his arms around his body. Angeal looked at Genesis with an odd look on his face, wondering why Genesis was getting _cold_ all of a sudden.

"Cold? Dude, it's summer." I'm not even cold, and I was dumped into a fountain." Angeal eyed his friend sceptically, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Genesis shook his head, beginning to walk in the direction of the ShinRa building once again. With a shrug, Angeal followed beside him, his concern for Genesis beginning to increase.

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Slumping in a chair in the briefing room, Genesis continued to shiver, his face flushed a shade of pink. Angeal sat nearby, leaning on the desk with one arm. A few moments past, with the redheaded SOLDIER not looking all that well. Within a few more minutes, the sliding door glided open and Lazard stepped into the room, a clipboard in his hand.

"Well, boys, how are we feeling?" Lazard questioned, his voice in his usual calm and professional tone. "I'd imagine that we're all quite enthusiastic to begin our journey in SOLDIER, are we not?"

"Y-yeah…" Genesis mumbled, feeling very drained.

"Ah! I can see that your wing…is gone." Lazard said quietly, not seeming to notice Genesis' deteriorating condition. Angeal gave a nod at the Director, smiling slightly to signal his answer. "Now, onto what I summoned you two here for. Uniforms."

Laying his clipboard down the desk and taking a seat at the head of the table, Lazard clasped his hands together, looking at both Genesis and Angeal. "Right. I'll make this nice and simple. Uniforms are to be kept in the best condition they can for as long as possible. You two will be wearing 3rd Class uniforms, which can be found in the first capsule once you enter the foyer of the briefing room. Any questions?"

"Nghh…" Genesis whimpered, leaning his head into his lap. Leaning back to get a better look at the SOLDIER, Lazard's facial expression changed to that of worry.

"Genesis, are you feeling alright?" the Director arose from his chair, stepping over to where Genesis was slumped. Raising his head slightly, the new 3rd Class SOLDIER shook his head a little, his face turned extremely pale from being flushed pink. A single, almost unnoticeable streak of grey was present in his chestnut locks of hair, causing an uneasy look to appear on Lazard's face. By now, Angeal was also beside Genesis, kneeling down to get at eyelevel with his best friend.

'Hey, buddy…what's up?" Angeal said quietly, looking up at Genesis curiously. Slowly opening his closed eyes, Genesis shrugged a little. Eyes that were once a shining aqua had faded to a washed out shade of grey blue, leaving Angeal's own eyes to widen in shock. "Your eyes…"

"My…eyes?" Genesis mumbled, blinking a few times. "What's…what's wrong with them?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Angeal found it difficult to say, fearing that this might come as slightly alarming to Genesis.

"Well…they're grey. Not blue." Angeal explained, slowly so that Genesis could understand.

"Grey…?"

"Um…yeah." Angeal said quietly, not knowing what else to say. By now, Lazard was over the other side of the room, his voice a serious tone whilst on his cell phone.

"Yes, I'm sure, Professor." Lazard said harshly into the phone, keeping his voice low so that the 3rd Class SOLDIERs weren't able to hear, even with mako-enhanced ears. "…it's degradation."

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A/N: OMG IT'S A CLIFF HANGER! 8D I'm not going to say anymore regarding that.  
But I hoped the explanation in scientific terms made sense at the start. -sweat drop- The wing thing was planned, so I hope it all worked out in your minds. -giggle-  
Anyway, look forward to the next chapter, I promise that it _will_ come sooner!

Hope you enjoyed :D

- Lioneh the cheetion


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